Topic 2 - Warfare Flashcards
what was the formation of a Phalanx and when does the arms date to?
each Phalanx was 8 men deep and armor and arms of the Hoplite dates back to Homeric time
what was a key requirement for being a Hoplite?
ownership of a shield and a spear was a key requirement for being a hoplite.
how were the soldiers grouped into phalanx?
depending on the nature of the soldier, they are grouped into phalanx accordingly
what did 18 year old men have to do?
at 18, young men had to serve a few years as kadets and had to take an oath, one point of which was to never break your phalanx and abandon your comrade in arms - a shield dropper was a common insult as it indicates cowardice
what happened at the battle of Plataea?
at the battle of Plataea in 479 BCE, Posidonus was deemed braver than Aristodemus as he had no wish to die but remained within his phalanx whereas Aristodemus wished to prove himself willing to die for his country to atone for being the only survivor of the famed 300 thus not for noble reasons.
is there phalanx in homer?
there is no ‘classical phalanx’ in Homer. the word phalanx does appear in a military context but it doesn’t have its later meaning but the hoplite panoply existed during this period.
what does Tyrtaeus attest to?
Tyrtaeus likewise attests to open-order fighting and heavily-armed warriors interspersed with archers
what is the modern view on Archilochus?
dropping your shield and running wasn’t a disgrace in an age where you didn’t fight as a fixed unit and your neighbor didn’t rely on your staying put.
what century were phalanx most likely a development of?
Phalanx tactics were probably a development of the 6th c BCE
what do elite male culture emulate?
elite male culture try to emulate the Homeric age as it was seen as better, the men were stronger, braver, faster - the idea that the best death for a young man was to die on the battle field.
who fought in the army?
unlike today, it was only the elite class that fought in the army, not until the Punic wars did the poor people fight.
how was war glorified?
the glorification of warfare was common propaganda in Ancient Greece, it was believed that a man could achieve kleos (everlasting glory) by dying on the battlefield. Bravery in warfare was a measure of a mans aratae.
whatt is warfare related to?
warfare was closely related to Athletics - it was seen as something that prepares you for warfare.
what people did training centers cater too? what was the relationship between trainer and trainee?
training centers catered to 3 categories of men, adolescents, boys and young men who were trained by older men. some of these older men would have ‘relationships’ with the adolescent males which was not only legal but encouraged
how were these bonds useful?
these ‘bonds’ were very useful for warfare as well as social aspects as it was supposed to instill courage within the aromanos (beloved) as they don’t want to appear cowardly to the erustus (lover)
